William Lees Judson: Craftsman at Heart, Painter by Trade, w Reception $15-$25 January 25, 2007

$25
$20 Members
$15 Students



David Judson

From the moment his train pulled into Pasadena in December 1893, William Lees Judson knew he would never reside in another place. This pioneering painter came to Southern California to live out his days in a warm climate, only to be reinvigorated by the idealism and optimism of the day. A Civil War veteran, artistically trained in Europe, Judson would become known simply as “The Professor.” Though lesser known, this premier plein air painter would leave an artistic legacy that continues to this day.

Aspects of Judson’s life and career to be discussed include:

• His extensive travels that furthered his career as an art professor and painter;
• Judson’s role as author, professor, craftsman, activist and early environmentalist;
• His contributions to the art world of Southern California as the founder and first dean of U S C’s School of Fine Arts and the founder of the Judson stained glass studios.

Since 1997, David Judson, of the family’s fifth generation, has run the Judson Studios. He joined the firm by founding the Judson Gallery of Contemporary and Traditional Art. David has lectured extensively on Judson and stained glass and is currently working on Judson’s biography.

Lecture will be followed by a reception at the Gamble House.

Additional tour: The Art and Craft of Light Saturday, January 27, 2007, 10 a.m. to noon; $25 (general admission); $20 for students and FOGH members.The Judson Studios, founded in 1897, is the oldest stained glass studio in the United States still owned and operated by the same family. There artists continue to design, create and restore stained glass nationally and internationally. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This is part of The Sidney D. Gamble Lecture Series 2006-2007: The Continual Arts and Crafts Connection Lecture Schedule January 25, 2007 William Lees Judson: Craftsman at Heart, Painter by Trade February 20, 2007 Rudolph M. Schindler: Architect, Builder, Theorist, Utopian March 23, 2007 California in a Container: Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House April 28, 2007 Gardens of Intrigue: Greenscapes of Magic and Mystery

Official Website: http://gamblehouse.org/events/index.html#Judson